The “Nintendo, Hire This Man” meme is back. The sarcastic catchphrase, used to mock overly realistic fan-made versions of Nintendo characters, has seen a resurgence online following the reveal of the 2026 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake.
The remake significantly modernized the classic game’s art style and graphics, and fans are comparing the new look to the kind of fan projects the meme was built to mock.
Origins on 4chan
The phrase first appeared on 4chan’s /v/ (Video Games) board on July 6th, 2018. It was used to mock the quality of “HD” fan-made versions of Mario games, poking fun at the idea that amateur modders were somehow superior to Nintendo’s own developers and their art styles.
The joke spread slowly at first. It picked up steam in mid-to-late 2019, when several notable posts helped push it into wider internet circulation.
- On May 15th, 2019, Twitter user Ghiradin used the phrase in response to criticism of the visual style of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening remake.
- On June 13th, 2019, FunnyJunk user onlyfortheprnlinks posted a screencap of a tweet showing Nessa from Pokemon Sword and Shield with lighter skin, calling it “fixed” under the mocking title “NINTENDO HIRE THIS MAN.”
- On November 19th, 2019, Twitter user RyPixal used the phrase in reply to a Mario model made in Blender.
One of the most notable uses came from YouTube user Chris Voiceman. His parody of the song “Secret Agent Man,” uploaded on May 7th, 2019, has garnered over 1 million views in seven years. The video uses a frame from a tech demo gameplay video uploaded by YouTube user CryZENx on July 11th, 2015, which has become a common source for “hire this man” jokes.
A 2026 Comeback
The recent surge began in early September 2026, shortly after Nintendo revealed the Ocarina of Time remake. On September 8th, 2026, Twitter user @LEZB0B0MB replied to a tweet showcasing first-look gameplay for the game, including footage from the viral AAA Mario video, saying it looked like “this man.” That post garnered over 28,900 views and 730 likes in a day.
The next day, September 9th, 2026, Twitter user @ItsPhigs reacted to the remake and criticized its graphics style in a tweet, referencing the “Nintendo Hire This Man Remake.” That post pulled over 23,100 views and 2,700 likes in 14 hours.
The joke in both cases is that the official remake now resembles the kind of overdone, hyper-realistic fan renders the meme originally mocked. The line between parody and reality has blurred.
Beyond Nintendo
As the meme spread through the 2020s, it was adapted to fit other companies. The phrasal template became “X, hire this man,” with X replaced by whatever developer or publisher was the target.
On September 6th, 2021, a since-deleted Redditor posted a Starter Pack meme to the /r/SonicTheHedgehog subreddit with the text “SEGA hire this man!” The meme received nearly 750 upvotes and 100 comments in five years.
The phrase also inspired musical mashups. On November 13th, 2019, YouTube user SiIvaGunner uploaded a mashup of the Teen Titans theme song and “Secret Agent Man” by Johnny Rivers.
By February 26th, 2021, the joke had come full circle. Twitter user @maple_java referenced the meme in a tweet joking that Nintendo actually “hired that man,” alongside a screenshot from the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus. That post earned over 34,000 likes and 4,300 retweets in five years.
The Ocarina of Time remake has given the meme new life. Fans who spent years mocking fan-made HD versions of Nintendo characters now find themselves looking at an official product that appears to share that aesthetic. The irony is not lost on them.
Whether Nintendo will ever actually hire the man remains unclear. For now, the meme continues to do what it has always done: remind the company that its fans are watching, and they have opinions about the art direction.
Source: knowyourmeme.com
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